Puppy Boot Camp

By Kevin Lunzer

Firearms/Hunting - Lead Sales Associate

While enjoying the warm weather of summer, it's hard to plan for a hunting trip that might be months away. We spend our weekends at the lake and we know that it only takes a few days to prepare for a bird hunt. Unfortunately, this isn't the case if you're looking to get your dog in the field for the first time. Statistics have shown that most electronic dog collars are purchased the week before the waterfowl season opens, but introducing this to your dog too late in the year can ruin the season for both of you. 

When purchasing an electronic collar, do your homework first. Purchase your collar well in advance of the hunting season and consider the type of hunting you'll be doing. Match the collar to you and your dog. Many collars have different levels of vibrate and tone in addition to the various levels of electronic stimulation. These collars also come with recommendations for the size and weight of your dog. If you're strictly a waterfowl hunter you'll want to look for waterproof collars. For upland hunters, you may consider collars with a longer range. You may also look for options like a locator beeper or beacon light.

It was Easter Sunday 2013 when I came home with my new duck hunting partner, Vixen, a 7 week old yellow lab pup. I spent the first few months teaching her basic commands like "sit" and "stay." By mid summer she was coming to the gun club with me a few times a week. I never shot next to her, but we would spend hours listening to gunfire. She was also exposed to many other dogs while she was there. This is a critical step if you plan on hunting with other people and their dogs. Eventually we worked on retrieving. We started with a tennis ball or training dummy and graduated to frozen birds. I took her duck hunting at 8 months old. I didn't expect much from her, but merely wanted to expose her to the environment of the hunt itself.

As the season ended and winter set in, I purchased a Sportdog Wetland Hunter425 collar and we began training with it. I chose the Sportdog collar because it is very simple to set up, easy to use, and is expandable for up to 3 dogs, should I need it. The feature that I use the most is the vibrate setting. I rarely use any electronic stimulation, I merely use "vibrate" instead of yelling "Come Here!" I tap the vibrate button and Vixen returns to me every time. When we put the collar on, Vixen understands that this is a good thing and we will begin retrieving.

If you're an upland bird hunter, you may want to consider the Sportdog UplandHunter 1875. This collar features a 1 mile range and audible beeper that can be set in quiet, 5 second, and 10 second intervals. It is waterproof and submersible and has an "instant locate" feature with the touch of a button. This is a great feature when hunting in grass or heavy cover.

Obviously, the Wetland Hunter 425 and Upland Hunter 1875 may not have the features you're looking for, but with a little research, you'll find the one that does. At Joe's we carry a wide variety of Sportdog collars and we would be happy to help you find the one that is right for you and your dog.

Introduction to Shotgun League Shooting

Trap Field at Metro Gun Club

By Kevin Lunzer

Firearms/Hunting - Lead Sales Associate

When you purchase a new shotgun the next stop you make is often a local gun club for some target shooting on the trap or skeet fields. Many gun clubs are open to public shooting, offering sportsmen or women the ability to stay on their game and practice for the next hunting season.

Skeet Field at Metro Gun Club

Trap shooting has become so popular in recent years that many clubs have added Women’s Leagues and Youth Leagues. Youth trap shooting has also expanded to the High School level.  Currently there are over 200 high schools offering trap shooting at a varsity or club level.  In June 2014 Joe’s Sporting Goods signed up as a sponsor for the Minnesota State High School Trap Shooting Championship in Alexandria, Minnesota. This is a 5 day event with approximately 4,000 registered shooters and 10,000 total attendees. The High School Championship is split into shooting classes allowing students to shoot against others at the same competitive level. Many organizations support youth events with prizes, awards, and scholarships.

Sporting Clays in Hugo, MN

           After shooting a little and getting familiar with your new gun, you may consider getting a few friends together and signing up for a league.  Shotgun Leagues run throughout the year and can include various shooting disciplines. You can choose to shoot trap, skeet, 5-stand, sporting clays or a combination of these and other types of shooting.  The gear needed to get started is minimal.  In addition to your shotgun you will need eye and ear protection which is required at shooting ranges.  While it is not a necessity a good vest or pouch to carry ammunition is also a great accessory to have.  League shooting is a great way for all levels of shooters to stay active and improve their accuracy.  Leagues run 10 to 20 weeks in length and participants normally shoot an average of 1 round per week. The first few weeks of shooting are used to establish the shooter’s “handicap.” The handicap levels the field for all shooters and in some cases; you will outscore the better shooters on your team as your shooting improves. Depending on the size of your league the club may split into 2 divisions. The teams with the best overall scores will be placed in an “A” division and the remaining teams will be in a “B” division. This is just another way to keep it competitive and give everyone the best opportunity to have fun shooting with others.

Browning Eye & Ear Protection

Starting a team is a simple process; all it takes is one person to captain the team and a few other willing participants. Ask a few friends or coworkers if they’d like to join the team and select when and where you’d like to shoot.  Many local shooting ranges including Metro Gun Club in Blaine, MN offer a variety of leagues to choose from.  If you would like more information on league shooting, contact your local gun club or stop by the gun counter here at Joe’s. We will be happy to direct you to any of the public clubs and help get you started.

Time to Turkey Hunt

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

Now is the time when the weather warms, the fields start growing and the turkeys strut.  If you’re like us, you love the hunt and nothing is more of a challenge than pursuing turkey.  Between a turkey’s phenomenal eye sight, cautious behavior and territorial reach, Turkey Hunting requires a strong combination of scouting, patience and luck to take one home.  Here are a few things to consider when you are getting set up for your 1^st or even 50^th turkey hunt.

Preparing for a turkey hunt is fairly simple.  The core components you’ll need are good camouflage, a trusty shotgun (or if you’re looking for a real challenge, a bow) and a turkey call.  There are other things to aid you along but we’ll get to that later.  Once again, turkeys have great eye sight making your camouflage choice extremely important to match the foliage you will be in.  If you use your duck camo in a forested area, you may as well be wearing blaze orange and blowing an air horn because no turkey will go near your spot.

Effects of shooting steel shot
through a full choke.

The next item for your kit is a shotgun capable of handling a Turkey Load.  Most shotguns can use a 2 ¾” and 3” shells but for Turkey, you want to maximize your spread and reach so you will want a shotgun that can handle 3 ½” shells.  You will also want to look at what Choke Tube you want for range and type of shot.  Some areas require that you use Steel Shot or a non-Lead load and need to make sure you have a choke tube capable of handling those types of shot. A few shotguns worth looking at are the affordable Remington 870 / Mossberg 500 series pump action shotguns or for something that won’t kick like a mule with 3 ½” mag shells, the Benelli Super Vinci is a shop favorite.

The last item to round out your basic hunt package is your call(s).  There are 3 main types of turkey calls each with a varying degree of complexity and sound.  The easiest of the three turkey calls to use is the Box Call.  The box call is the easiest to learn and use but lacks the ability to use different tone inflections to keep a Tom interested in your location.  The next call to look at is the Slate Call.  The Slate Call is a circle tab of slate rock with a carbon or wooden striker that allows you to scrape the tab and create a call.  The slate call takes more practice to get used to but offers a crisper tone that you can play with for different calls.  Finally, there is the Diaphragm Call.  These calls sit in your mouth and you become the turkey call as you use your lungs to change pitch and volume at any point.  The Diaphragm Call is the most difficult to learn and use but with practice, the most effective and natural sounding way to lure a turkey to your position. 

A few items that will help along the way but aren't necessary are decoys, camouflage wrap, a comfortable seat and a mount to display your tail feathers when you win your prize bird.  While these items won’t break a hunt, they will certainly help tip the odds in your favor and give you the best odds to bag a bird.

We wish all of the hunter’s good luck this season and if you have any questions, stop on by, call us at 1 (888) 468-6563 or email us at info@joessportinggoods.com.

Until next time, get outdoors!